The Neighbourhood Planning (Referendums) Regulations 2012

Equipment of polling stations E+W

18.—(1) The counting officer must provide each presiding officer with such number of ballot boxes and ballot papers as in the counting officer's opinion may be necessary.

(2) Every ballot box must be so constructed that the ballot papers can be put in it, but cannot be withdrawn from it, without the box being unlocked or, where the box has no lock, the seal being broken.

(3) The counting officer must provide each polling station with—

(a) materials to enable voters and proxies to mark the ballot papers;

(b) copies of such part of the register of electors as contains the names of the voters who have the station allotted to them;

(c) the parts of any special lists prepared for the referendum corresponding to the register of electors or the part of it provided under sub-paragraph (b);

(d) a list, in the form set out in Form 5 in the Appendix or a form to like effect, consisting of that part of the list prepared under rule 8 which contains the numbers (but not the other unique identifying marks) corresponding to those on the ballot papers provided to the presiding officer of the polling station.

(4) The reference in paragraph (3)(b) to the copies of the register of electors includes a reference to copies of any notices issued under section 13B(3B) or (3D) of the 1983 Act M1 in respect of alterations to the register.

(5) The counting officer must also provide each polling station with—

(a) at least one large version of the ballot paper which must be displayed inside the polling station for the assistance of voters and proxies who are partially sighted; F1 ...

[F2 (aa) a ballot paper refusal list, set out in Form 10A in the Appendix or a form to like effect, on which entries are to be made as mentioned in rule 31A (refusal to deliver ballot paper); and]

[F3 (b) such equipment as it is reasonable to provide for the purposes of enabling, or making it easier for, relevant persons to vote independently in the manner directed by rule 27 (voting procedure), including in relation to voting secretly; and for this purpose “relevant persons” means persons who find it difficult or impossible to vote in that manner because of—

(i) blindness or partial sight, or

(ii) another disability.]

[F4 (5A) Paragraph (10) of rule 29 of Schedule 1 to the 1983 Act (Parliamentary elections rules: guidance to returning officers) applies for the purposes of paragraph (5)(b) of this rule as it applies for the purposes of that rule, but as if—

(a) the reference in that paragraph to the returning officer were a reference to the counting officer, and

(b) the reference in that paragraph to paragraph (3A)(b) were a reference to paragraph (5)(b) of this rule.]

(6) A notice in the form set out in Form 11 in the Appendix, giving directions for the guidance of voters and proxies in voting, must be printed in conspicuous characters and exhibited inside and outside every polling station.

[F5 (6A) A large notice must be displayed inside each polling station containing—

(a) details of the documents the voter or proxy needs to produce when applying for a ballot paper, namely—

(i) in the case of a voter (other than a voter with an anonymous entry) or a proxy, any of the forms of identification for the time being referred to in rule 37(1H) of Schedule 1 to the 1983 Act (parliamentary elections rules);

(ii) in the case of a voter with an anonymous entry, the voter’s official poll card and an anonymous elector’s document showing the same electoral number as the electoral number shown on the official poll card; and

(b) a statement that further proof of identity may be required to resolve any discrepancy between the name of the holder of a form of identification and the name of the voter or proxy that the voter or proxy claims to be.]

(7) The counting officer may also provide copies of the notice mentioned in paragraph (6) in Braille or translated into languages other than English as the counting officer considers appropriate, provided that these notices are accurate reproductions in Braille or that other language of that notice.

(8) In every compartment of every polling station there must be exhibited the notice “REFERENDUM ON [specify: neighbourhood plan / neighbourhood development order or community right to build order] FOR [specify name of neighbourhood area]. Mark a cross (X) in the box next to the answer of your choice. Vote ONCE only. Do not mark the ballot paper in any other way, or your vote may not be counted.”.

F6 (9) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F1 Word in Sch. 3 rule 18(5)(a) omitted (16.1.2023) by virtue of The Voter Identification Regulations 2022 (S.I. 2022/1382), regs. 1(3), 64(6)(a)(i) (with reg. 1(6)(7))

F2 Sch. 3 rule 18(5)(aa) inserted (16.1.2023) by The Voter Identification Regulations 2022 (S.I. 2022/1382), regs. 1(3), 64(6)(a)(ii) (with reg. 1(6)(7))

F3 Sch. 3 rule 18(5)(b) substituted (29.12.2022) by The Assistance with Voting for Persons with Disabilities (Amendments) Regulations 2022 (S.I. 2022/1309), regs. 1(3), 11(2)(a)(i) (with reg. 1(4))

F4 Sch. 3 rule 18(5A) inserted (29.12.2022) by The Assistance with Voting for Persons with Disabilities (Amendments) Regulations 2022 (S.I. 2022/1309), regs. 1(3), 11(2)(a)(ii) (with reg. 1(4))

F5 Sch. 3 rule 18(6A) inserted (16.1.2023) by The Voter Identification Regulations 2022 (S.I. 2022/1382), regs. 1(3), 64(6)(b) (with reg. 1(6)(7))

F6 Sch. 3 rule 18(9) omitted (29.12.2022) by virtue of The Assistance with Voting for Persons with Disabilities (Amendments) Regulations 2022 (S.I. 2022/1309), regs. 1(3), 11(2)(a)(iii) (with reg. 1(4))

Marginal Citations

M1 Section 13B of the 1983 Act was inserted by paragraph 3 of Schedule 2 to the Representation of the People Act 2000 (c.2) and section 13B(3B) and (3D) were inserted by section 11(4) of the Electoral Administration Act 2006 (c.22).